LITTLE ROCK — The Golden Record left Earth’s orbit on the first Voyager launch in 1977. Composed by Carl Sagan and a small committee, these gilded copper plates hold actual sound recordings meant to introduce our planet - its weather, its animals, its most advanced life.
It begins with salutations in 55 languages and voices. Though only a few percent of the world’s people are native English speakers, the initial greeting from U.N. Secretary-general Kurt Waldheim is in English, in his strongly German accent.
Amid all of the Cold War fears, the record features a Georgian performance of Tchakrulo and Azerbaijani bagpipes, both recorded by Radio Moscow, as well as Kuan P’ing-hu’s performance of “Flowing Streams” in Chinese. The lone rock ’n’ roll song - Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.”
The most interesting recordings are probably those of the12 /2-minute “Sounds of Earth.” Thunderstorms, the sound of rain collecting and the rush of water through a slough, frogs at night and ape cries, a hammer and a jackhammer, a locomotive recorded in stereo sound so that the sound travels from one ear to the next. A baby’s cry, followed by a mother’s “Oh, c’mon now, be a good boy.” A space launch.
What is it all for?
The first assumption is that it will one day be received. In 1990 the craft passed Pluto’s orbit traveling at nearly 40,000 miles per hour. It will be another 40,000 years before it passes within 1.7 lightyears of another solar system.
It is further hoped that the extraterrestrials are clever or curious enough to break the seal. The recording’s cover features a visual diagram meant to explain how to play them. Takea look. Does it make sense to you?
Sagan said that it “says something very hopeful about life on this planet,” but the reptilian snaggletooth that plays it is higher hoping yet.
To learn more and have a listen, visit
Voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft
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Style, Pages 32 on 06/22/2010